
DHA Service Access and Coverage
1 Overview
Birth and death registration may be incomplete due to the inaccessibility of Home Affairs offices where registration occurs. A potential barrier to registration may be the distance needed to travel. We aim to determine the proportion of the population within reasonable distances of Home Affairs offices.
2 Methodology
2.1 Data Sources
- Shape files: District boundaries from Stats SA, standardised using the
{NMCleaner}package - Population estimates: Stats SA mid-year population estimates (2025), at district level
- Office locations: DHA office coordinates from existing dataset (excludes hospital satellite offices)
2.2 Analytical Approach
We explored three approaches to estimate population coverage:
Office-to-office distance: Measured median half-distance between nearest office pairs. This underestimated coverage in rural areas.
Uniform grid distribution: Created 1km grid and distributed population uniformly within districts. Ignored population clustering.
Inverse power model (selected): Assumed population clusters around offices with distance decay.
2.3 Population Density Models
Inverse Power Model: \[ w_i = \frac{1}{(d_i + 1)^{\alpha}} \]
where \(d_i\) is the distance (km) from grid point \(i\) to the nearest office, and \(\alpha = 1.5\) is the decay parameter.
Population Allocation:
Weights are normalised within each district: \[ \hat{w}_i = \frac{w_i}{\sum_{j \in d} w_j} \]
The population at each grid point is: \[ P_i = P_d \cdot \hat{w}_i \]
where \(P_d\) is the total population of district \(d\).
2.4 Limitations
- Population is modelled, not observed at sub-district level
- Distances are straight-line, not road-network or travel-time
- Office capacity and service quality are not accounted for
- Satellite offices (e.g., in hospitals) are not included
3 National Overview Maps
3.1 Population Distribution by District
3.2 Number of DHA Offices by District

3.3 Modelled Population Distribution

4 Coverage Summary
District | Total Population | Population within 10 km | % Population within 10 km | Population within 20 km | % Population within 20 km | Median Distance to Nearest DHA Office (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alfred Nzo | 935,303.24 | 455,653.79 | 48.71723 | 743,055.57 | 79.44542 | 10.402110 |
Amajuba | 610,840.87 | 248,304.97 | 40.64970 | 412,243.37 | 67.48785 | 6.721991 |
Amathole | 792,612.28 | 384,503.90 | 48.51097 | 624,102.29 | 78.73992 | 13.710934 |
Bojanala Platinum | 1,985,081.47 | 973,231.05 | 49.02726 | 1,498,577.12 | 75.49197 | 6.631565 |
Buffalo City | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.645311 | ||
Cape Winelands | 1,014,431.61 | 393,345.32 | 38.77495 | 660,490.34 | 65.10940 | 22.244051 |
Capricorn | 1,412,657.09 | 704,095.36 | 49.84192 | 1,090,471.68 | 77.19295 | 6.588786 |
Central Karoo | 77,156.77 | 19,337.85 | 25.06306 | 33,406.26 | 43.29660 | 61.232752 |
Chris Hani | 717,288.80 | 284,460.44 | 39.65773 | 477,556.61 | 66.57801 | 18.530152 |
City of Cape Town | 5,030,496.59 | 4,099,371.70 | 81.49040 | 4,680,808.63 | 93.04864 | 5.701034 |
City of Johannesburg | 5,900,321.36 | 5,628,983.35 | 95.40130 | 5,892,801.12 | 99.87255 | 4.655293 |
City of Tshwane | 4,038,060.52 | 2,807,261.12 | 69.52004 | 3,797,729.06 | 94.04834 | 6.261707 |
Dr Kenneth Kaunda | 807,057.02 | 306,765.87 | 38.01043 | 534,494.42 | 66.22759 | 26.442373 |
Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati | 474,901.42 | 126,706.75 | 26.68064 | 226,657.34 | 47.72724 | 37.381759 |
Ehlanzeni | 1,928,692.28 | 949,462.10 | 49.22828 | 1,514,775.37 | 78.53899 | 14.563862 |
Ekurhuleni | 4,059,057.15 | 3,606,628.50 | 88.85385 | 4,026,309.04 | 99.19321 | 4.287919 |
Fezile Dabi | 536,755.09 | 210,021.56 | 39.12801 | 354,981.92 | 66.13480 | 25.841309 |
Frances Baard | 438,828.63 | 252,121.61 | 57.45332 | 344,875.36 | 78.58999 | 6.517864 |
Garden Route | 673,192.44 | 231,968.78 | 34.45802 | 359,566.57 | 53.41215 | 26.215135 |
Gert Sibande | 1,367,512.57 | 499,243.04 | 36.50738 | 865,389.43 | 63.28201 | 23.991729 |
Harry Gwala | 507,708.07 | 244,651.59 | 48.18745 | 393,554.66 | 77.51593 | 14.683459 |
Joe Gqabi | 354,930.59 | 120,698.07 | 34.00611 | 201,178.45 | 56.68107 | 26.070329 |
John Taolo Gaetsewe | 296,434.12 | 60,903.61 | 20.54541 | 105,421.63 | 35.56326 | 58.748156 |
King Cetshwayo | 992,551.26 | 584,674.80 | 58.90626 | 878,507.60 | 88.51005 | 11.117175 |
Lejweleputswa | 698,356.31 | 237,432.69 | 33.99879 | 415,209.16 | 59.45520 | 21.777022 |
Mangaung | 857,972.98 | 368,652.30 | 42.96782 | 569,401.61 | 66.36591 | 7.357610 |
Mopani | 1,266,833.75 | 637,248.98 | 50.30249 | 965,505.48 | 76.21406 | 11.449517 |
Namakwa | 129,514.62 | 18,622.61 | 14.37877 | 32,227.66 | 24.88342 | 101.611559 |
Nelson Mandela Bay | 1,263,632.35 | 913,989.64 | 72.33034 | 1,177,353.23 | 93.17213 | 5.560911 |
Ngaka Modiri Molema | 916,906.71 | 356,376.61 | 38.86727 | 585,529.12 | 63.85918 | 11.025078 |
Nkangala | 1,779,928.23 | 915,034.71 | 51.40852 | 1,379,989.56 | 77.53063 | 14.948017 |
O.R. Tambo | 1,623,984.18 | 901,159.23 | 55.49064 | 1,383,466.86 | 85.18968 | 11.402136 |
Overberg | 329,835.08 | 129,158.89 | 39.15863 | 214,444.59 | 65.01570 | 29.774281 |
Pixley ka Seme | 219,155.39 | 44,534.82 | 20.32111 | 78,796.01 | 35.95440 | 60.644279 |
Sarah Baartman | 527,417.58 | 137,390.39 | 26.04964 | 236,924.35 | 44.92159 | 36.350580 |
Sedibeng | 1,061,184.78 | 698,345.41 | 65.80809 | 956,981.76 | 90.18050 | 5.241618 |
Sekhukhune | 1,333,431.61 | 623,523.74 | 46.76083 | 1,030,150.20 | 77.25557 | 13.957115 |
Thabo Mofutsanyana | 810,097.04 | 281,905.92 | 34.79903 | 474,806.88 | 58.61111 | 21.412738 |
Ugu | 831,709.41 | 410,976.35 | 49.41345 | 648,175.00 | 77.93287 | 15.690580 |
Umzinyathi | 607,975.36 | 279,572.67 | 45.98421 | 481,574.42 | 79.20953 | 20.312587 |
Vhembe | 1,527,097.27 | 814,783.91 | 53.35508 | 1,210,957.63 | 79.29800 | 11.353646 |
Waterberg | 826,172.40 | 270,753.13 | 32.77199 | 469,022.86 | 56.77058 | 20.385642 |
West Coast | 502,575.67 | 158,658.18 | 31.56901 | 266,240.56 | 52.97522 | 53.950602 |
West Rand | 1,046,309.52 | 595,362.01 | 56.90114 | 881,712.99 | 84.26885 | 6.530380 |
Xhariep | 136,652.09 | 32,346.18 | 23.67046 | 58,520.08 | 42.82414 | 32.967104 |
ZF Mgcawu | 295,250.15 | 65,364.51 | 22.13869 | 109,046.04 | 36.93344 | 49.658992 |
Zululand | 901,274.60 | 416,978.23 | 46.26539 | 696,858.99 | 77.31928 | 14.419205 |
eThekwini | 4,374,202.14 | 3,566,220.60 | 81.52848 | 4,314,338.52 | 98.63144 | 4.116189 |
iLembe | 742,038.00 | 487,512.25 | 65.69910 | 715,374.15 | 96.40667 | 14.468760 |
uMgungundlovu | 1,220,477.11 | 558,332.70 | 45.74708 | 974,950.39 | 79.88273 | 18.124755 |
uMkhanyakude | 711,366.32 | 369,937.77 | 52.00383 | 571,470.34 | 80.33419 | 20.035972 |
uThukela | 732,104.09 | 233,310.61 | 31.86850 | 401,013.65 | 54.77550 | 28.928896 |
Total | 62,225,325.98 | 37,715,880.17 | 60.61178 | 51,016,995.93 | 81.98751 | 13.856925 |
5 Interactive Map
Explore DHA office locations with coverage buffers (10km, 20km, 50km).